Printing press



Jam 2., 1945. E. `w. woRTHlNGToN PRINTING PRESS Filed'Jan. 14, '1944 zsheets-'sneet 1 Jan 2. 1945. E. w. woRTHlNG-roN 2,366,375

PRINTING PRESS Filed Jan. 14, 1944 2 sneek-.sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1945 'PRINTING PaEss Emory W. Worthington, Chicago, Ill., assignor. to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago,

lll., a corporation of Illinois ,application January 14, 1944, serial Nq. 518,2184

12 claims. (01101-364) i This invention relates to printing presses and is more particularly concerned with new and improved inking mechanisms therefor.

In the moderntechnique of printing, the inks which are being utilized are heat setting inks which are of thick consistency, and in some instances comprise pasty, viscous concentrates with little of the property known as liquid, so that, in use, they tend to be difficult to apply to the fountain rollers and to the pickup and ductor rollers of the inking system. Furthermore,l color.

changes of subsequent printing impressions tend to be apparent when using these viscous inks.

While the present invention is not to be conf strued or limited to thesolving of this problem,

it does provide means whereby such inks used in modern techniquecan be fed to the inking system without such disadvantages as color changes and difficult feeding.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the, same being real-- ized and attained by means'of the instrumentali- Aties and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention `consists in the novel parts, con structions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred'to here-` in and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one tion to provide an improved and novel ink teuntain for a printingpress which is adapted to feed ink, and particularly modern concentrated viscous inks, smoothly and satisfactorily and without color changes or like disadvantages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mixing system of either an overshot or undershot ink fountain for a printing press, to overcome specific disadvantages of .lack of physical and color homogeneity.

' According to this invention, as generally embodied, there is provided in a conventional ink` fountain, whether of the overshot or undershot type, a mixing roller adapted to be frictionally ro.. tated in the ink within the ink trough by contact with the fountain roller and having grooves on its periphery, adapted to apply ink to the fountain roller and correctly spread thel ink thereon.

Specifically, with a fountain of the conventional type having the fountain roller rotating within the ink in the trough, there is journalled within thetrough a. circumferentially grooved roller;

the lands orteeth thus formed being in actual embodimentof the invention, and together with the description, serve to the invention.

Of the drawings: g Fig. 1 is a verticall cross-section through a standard form of overshot ink fountain for aexplain the princi-ples of printing press incorporating one embodied form..

of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on lines 22 of Fig. 1 showing in detail the construction of one form of mixing roller according to this invention;

Fig. 3 is a'section on the lines 3-'3 of Fig'. 2, showing a detail of the mixing roller of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view, in cross-section, similar to Fig. 1 but showing a Amodified form of the present invention; 'and Fig. 5 is a section on the lines 5- 5 of Fig. 4',-

frictional contact with the periphery of the fountain roller and thus being rotated thereby. The teeth may be either helically formed or parallel and the spaces orhollows formed within each pair of teeth receive ink and pass same to the periphery of the fountain roller, acting to spread this thereon and smoothen out any ink picked up bythe fountain roller itself. The teeth may beV suitably shaped so as to give a wedge action toward the fountain roller, and either a single or double helical formation may be used to assist in passing the ink across the periphery of the" fountain roller.

The-mixing roller rotating in the body of the ink, and preferably completely submerged therein, acts also to agitate the body of vink in the trough and' thus accomplishes adual result of both physical and color homogenizing.

Means are provided to urgethe mixing roller into good frictional contact with the fountain roller, and either lspring means or gravitational pull may `be utilized for this. 1

When using -a divided or sectional fountain, as is conventional, each division may have its individual mixing roller according to the invention, and where it is desired, the use thereof can be discontinued by removal ofthe mixing roller from contact with the fountain roller, as by taking the mixing roller completely out of the fountain, means being provided to permitthis, either for ing drawings there is shown an ink fountain comprising a relatively long narrow ink trough I which extends across the press and is supported by the frame members, thereof, the weight of the trough being suitably supported as by narrow vertical webs I2. This trough may be conventionally sub-divided into a plurality of units. An angle bracket I8 is attached by bolts I4 to a frame member II and the trough I0 has side plates l and I8 attached thereto or integral therewith, if desired. A body of ink 2li is contained-within the enclosed trough to a level such that a fountain roller 2| mounted to rotate within the trough will always have part of its periphery submerged in the body of. ink 20. The level of ink is shown at Y in Fig. 1 and this level is generally maintained.

.Fountain roller 2| has shaft extensions 23 andv 24.which are journalled in sidewalls l5 and i6 preferably with anti-.friction bearings 25 and 25. Suitable means to drive the fountain roller 2| will be provided, as by gearing associated with shaft 23 and a press driven shaft (not shown).

il. ductor roll or similar ink pick-up roll 2l contacts the surfaceV of fountain roller 2| in the usual manner, for transferring the ink from fountain roller 2| to the printing couple.

Means are provided for removing surplus ink from the fountain roller 2| and for regulating the quantity of ink to be fed therefrom to the printing couple, and for this purpose a scraper blade 30, of conventional construction, is mounted above the fountain roller and is variably pressed against the surface thereof by means of the usual columnar adjusting. means 3|. Thus, the illustrated fountain is of .the conventional lov'ershot type.

\ In accordance with the present invention,

. means are provided for mixing the ink within the trough I0, and to cause the ink to be in relatively homogeneous condition as it passes from the fountain roller 2| to the roll 21.

To this end, immersed in the body of ink 20, there is provided a mixing roller 38 having a surface adapted to mixthe body ink 20 and to/apply mixed ink to the fountain roller 2|, the mixing roller 38 riding against the periphery offountain asesora A stop to prevent accidental removal of plunger l48 is formed by a set screw 50 threaded through the body of mixing roller 38 and projecting into bore 48.

The spring created pressure on pin in the direction' of the arrow A will cause a force to be exerted of the mixing roller 38 against fountain roller 2| by virtue of the incline faces of the countersunkl hole 44 and the pin 45 pressing thereagainst. Preferably, the end of pins 45 and 46 will be rounded and smoothed off to allow a minimum of friction in their bearing holes 44 under spring pressure of spring 49. i

Obviously,v mixing roller 38 can be readily removed from the fountain side plates for cleaning or the like by depression of the plunger 48 against the spring 49.

In the modication shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the mixing roller 38 is of similar construction except that the teeth 5| are of square contour and are all parallel. This form of grooved roller is again mounted within the side plates i5 and i8 oi the ink fountain I0 and gravitational load is allowed to form the means of obtaining good contact between the mixing roller 38 and fountain roller 2|.

To this end, along shaped'groove or track 52 is provided in each side plate l5 and i6, into which groove the bearing support pins 53 of the mixing roller 3B are adapted to slide.

Thus, in Fig. 4 one groove 52 is shown as a long angular guide extending below the lowermost position the mixing roller 38 could occupy with fountain roller 2| in position and the width rollerv2| andbeing frictionallyfdriven'thereby I in the opposite direction thereto.

g In the illustrated form of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, mixing roller -38 has a plurality of teeth 38 thereon. theserbeing formed in a helical path around the periphery of mixing roller 38. The side faces of each tooth 38 are preferably inclined as at 48 (Fig. 3) and thus present a somewhat V shaped space 4| between each pair of teeth in which ink will be carried. 'I'his shaping of the spaces 4| will-result in a wedge action of the ink thereinagainst the surface of the fountain roller 2| to cause even dispersion thereover.

The mixingcroller 38 is journalled in any desired manner-.in the fountain trough Ill and in Fig. 3 there is' a detailed view of one form of mounting whe'rrelthe mixing roller 3 8 is actually spring pressed into contact with the fountain roller 2|. As shown, in each of the side plates I5 and I8 a countersunk hole. 44 is formed into which spindles 45 and 48 forming bearing mountings-for mixing roller 38 are adapted to ride.

Spindle 45 is attached to a plunger 41 mounted in a bore 48 in the end of mixing roller 38, a spring 48 serving to force plunger 48 outwardly.

of the groove 521s there shown as suilicient to adequately giiide and rotatably support the mixing roller by means of pins 53.

Roller 38 is placed in the topmost part-of thegrooves 52, which may be conveniently shaped as by agvertical portion to permit ready insertion as shown at 54, and thereafter the mixing roller 38 is permitted to slide down the trackway formed by the grooves into good frictional contact with the fountain roller 2|, the weight of the mixing roller 88 causing this contact by means of the inclined plane action of grooves 52 and bearing pins 53. y,

When using a divided fountain in a printing press, each division may be provided with its mixing roller 38, which roller can be silenced, if desired, by removal from its division.

The rotation of the mixing roller 38 within the body of ink will have two functions.- The first is the actual mixing of the ink by the agitating action of teeth 39 or 5| caused by grooving the mixing roller, as described. The second is the actual application of ink to vthe possibly already inked parts of the periphery of the fountain roller 2| and the spreading, milling and homogenising of the ink over these inked parts by the action of the teeth and hollows on the mixing rollerf caused by the stated grooving.

Thus, in using thick inks the agitation and application to the fountain roller will result in great advantages both with respect to a homoageneous physical condition of the ink and with mixing roller 38 rotates causing additional agitation or mixing, and obviously the actual contour of the helix and pitch thereof can be chosen to give a desired mixing action to suit the requirements of a specific form of ink.

The invention in its broader aspects is not lim- 'ted to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief ad,-

vantages.

What I claim is:

l. In an inking mechanism for a printing press the combination of an ink fountain, a. fountain roller journalled to rotate partially immersed in a body of ink, and a grooved mixing roller frictionally driven by said fountain roller to rotate within said body of ink.

2. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller partially immersed in said ink, and agmixing roller in peripheral contact with said fountain roller mountedto rotate within said ink by said contact, said mixing roller being grooved on its periphery.

3. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotating in contact with the combination of a fountain containing a body said ink, and a grooved mixing roller fully immersed in said ink, having the teeth formed by the grooving thereof in frictional contact with the periphery of said fountain roller and rotated thereby.

4. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of an ink fountain, a fountain roller journalled to rotate partially immersed in a body of ink, and a helically grooved mixing roller frictionally driven by said fountain roller to rotate within said body of ink.

5. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller partially immersed in said ink, and a mixing roller in peripheral contact with said fountain roller mounted to rotate within said ink by said contact, said mixing roller being helically grooved on its periphery.`

6. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotating in contact with said ink,. and a helically grooved mixing roller fully immersed in said ink, having the teeth formed by the grooving thereof in frictional contact vwith the periphery of said fountain roller and rotated thereby. I

7. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotating in'contact with said ink, and a grooved mixing roller fully immersed in said ink, having the teeth formed by the grooving thereof in frictional contact with the periphery of said' fountain roller and rotated A the combination of a fountain thereby, said mixing roller being spring urged toward said fountain roller.

8. In an inking mechanism for a printing press,

of ink, a fountain roller partially immersed in said ink, and a mixing roller in peripheral contact with said fountain roller mounted to rotate within said ink by said contact, said mixing roller being grooved on its periphery and being positively urged toward said fountain roller to posiun tively establish and maintain said driving peripheral contact.

9; In an inking mechanism for a printing press, containing a body of ink, a fountain roller rotating in contact with said ink, and a circumferentially -grooved mix ing roller fully immersed in said ink, having the teeth formed by the grooving thereof in frictional contact with the periphery of said fountain rollr and rotated thereby.

10. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing a body of ink, a fountain roller partially immersed in said ink, and a mixing roller in peripheral contact with said fountain roller mounted to rotate Within said ink by said contact, said mixing roller being grooved on its periphery andl being positively urged toward said fountain roller to positively establish and maintain said driving peripheral contact,by trackways ar ranged within said fountain permitting the weight of said mixing roller to bear fully against a con,

adapted to press against an inclined face within said fountain to spring urge said mixing roller relative to said fountain roller.

12. In an inking mechanism for a printing press, the combination of a fountain containing arbody of ink, a fountain roller rotating contact'yvith said ink, and a grooved mixing roller fully immersed inj said ink,- having the teeth formed by the grooving thereof in frictional contact with the periphery of said fountain roller and rotated thereby, said grooving being shaped to cause a wedge action to be exerted on the lnk within said grooves and against said' fountain roller. EMORY W. WORTI-IINGTON. 

